It was 1972 and Jim Nabors was best known as television's goofy marine Gomer Pyle.

But, oh, how that would change for Indianapolis 500 fans, who came to know Nabors as the deep-voiced darling who sang for them the next 42 years.

Sunday, as Nabors prepared to sing "Back Home Again In Indiana" for the last time at the race, he recalled his first.

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Mari Hulman George and Jim Nabors embrace as they give the traditional signal for teams to start their engines May 24, 2014, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's Indianapolis 500 race. Robert Scheer / The Star

Chairman of the Board Mari Hulman George and Jim Nabors show their excitement as drivers pass them at the start of the 98th Indianapolis 500 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday, May 25, 2014. Mike Fender / The Star

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When he showed up in 1972 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he thought he was singing the "The Star-Spangled Banner," but was promptly told that wasn't the case.

"Then what the hell am I singing," he said Sunday, with that sweet high-pitched drawl.

When told, he quickly started scribbling the words to "Back Home Again In Indiana" on the inside of his hand.

"I never dreamed I'd be doing this 42 years later," he said.

As he talked, he threw out "Golly" and gave that sweet smirk. But he also admitted he was trying not to cry.

"I'm trying real hard not to get emotional," he said. "Otherwise, I won't be able to sing. I'll just gargle it."

He said he will miss singing at the race and he'll miss Indianapolis.

"After I sang 'Back Home In Indiana' the first time, I became a Hoosier," he said.

The experience struck him as awesome, the atmosphere, the vibe.

"In Hollywood, I was used to being on a dirty old sound stage and the whole crew is just scratching themselves," he said. "They don't care who you are."

Then, he sang for Indy and it all changed. People adored him.

Jim Nabors sang "(Back Home Again in) Indiana" for the last time at the Indianapolis 500 on May 28, 2014. He started singing this song in 1972 and "I never dreamed I'd be doing this 42 years later," he said.
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But, there's a time in life when you have to move on, he said, adding that he will turn 84 this year.

"There's something inside me that tells me when it's time to go," he said. "It's the old song. You don't want to stay too long at the fair."

- Dana Hunsinger Benbow

Second shooting at Coke lot

While the race offers fun for all ages, a pair of early morning shootings Saturday and today threatened to strip away some of the safety associated with the event.

The most recent shooting happened after a robbery around 2:30 a.m. in Coke Lot 1 C, near West 30th and Georgetown Road.

Speedway Police said a group of men beat and robbed a person, and after the attack, the group began running away.

A friend of the robbery victim began to chase after them, police said, and one of the robbers responded by pulling out a handgun and firing at him.

The man who was shot was taken to Eskenazi Hospital and in critical condition, police said. The person who was robbed was also taken to the hospital for treatment.

Just a day earlier, the Coke Lot was the scene of a shooting that left a 25-year-old Kokomo man dead. About 2:09 a.m. Saturday, police said Max Levine was unresponsive in the lot.

Avory Johnson, 19, Indianapolis, was later arrested in connection to the shooting. He faces a preliminary charge of murder and is being held in the Marion County Jail.

Partygoers in the Coke Lot Sunday morning seemed relatively unfazed by the shootings, and continued to drink and play games near their tents or campers.

Lt. Trent Theobald of the Speedway Police Department said officers are still investigating Sunday's shooting and robbery.

But Theobald said the original security plan is not being altered in light of the incidents.

"We're sticking to our plan. Those were isolated incidents and we still have a cooperative effort in place between multiple departments," he said. "There is a large police presence here, like we have at every large event, and our goal is to get everyone in safely."

According to a police report, Speedway officers arrested 10 people overnight. Four of the arrests were for theft, and another four were for public intoxication.

The final two arrests were for possession of a firearm and driving with a suspended license.

- Justin Mack

Mark Cuban recalls road trip to Indy 500

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Businessman Mark Cuban takes in the scene on the red carpet before the 98th Indianapolis 500 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday, May 25, 2014.(Photo: Mike Fender / The Star)

It may be difficult to believe today, but Mark Cuban says he was too poor to attend the Indianapolis 500 when he attended Indiana University in the late 1970s.

The Dallas Mavericks owner and star of TV's "Shark Tank" attended Sunday's race in the honorary role of waver of the green flag, and he reminisced about times he did travel north from Bloomington to Speedway.

"We would go to qualifications," Cuban said. "Any good reason to drink beer. We'd buy our six packs for 99 cents or whatever it was. We were nasty, but we had a blast."

On the topic of pro basketball, Cuban said he's rooting for Indiana Pacers owner Herb Simon this postseason.

"Herb Simon is one of the good guys," said Cuban, who collected an NBA title with the Mavericks in 2011. "I really hope he gets (a championship). There's nobody in the NBA that's more deserving. There are very few people I've ever run into who had a bigger heart than Herb Simon. For that reason, 'Beat the Heat.' "

- David Lindquist

Shootings do not deter race fans

While admittedly shocked by the consecutive days of early morning violence, Jared Everett said it would take more than a handful of criminals to ruin what he considers to be the best weekend of the year.

"I look forward to this more than any holiday or sporting event or anything," said Everett, 32, who has been attending the Indianapolis 500 in some form for more than a decade.

"The Super Bowl can be held anywhere, the NBA Finals changes location every year, but this is ours. This is something you only get in Indiana," he said. "Yeah I'm pumped. Everyone is … just look around."

-Justin Mack

Letterman thought he had a winner

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The Voice season 6 winner Josh Kaufman walks the red carpet before the start of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 25, 2014, in Indianapolis. Brent Drinkut/The Star

General Hospital actor Erik Valdez takes a selfie on the red carpet before the start of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 25, 2014, in Indianapolis. Brent Drinkut/The Star

Jim Nabors was all smiles on the red carpet as he poses for a photo with radio personality Laura Steele before the 98th Indianapolis 500 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday, May 25, 2014. Mike Fender / The Star

"We're going to win, no doubt about that," Letterman said during a pre-race interview on the track. "We won 10 years ago with Buddy Rice. Bobby won in '86, that's 10 years ago, too, isn't it? I don't know. I have my lucky glasses on. It's a beautiful day. There's no point being here if you don't win."

Wearing blue sunglasses and not concerned with precise math, Letterman said Indy 500 drivers rank among his favorite guests in his late-night career -- which he's announced will come to an end sometime in 2015.

"I like having race drivers on," Letterman said. "They're really good guests. They're doing something cool, and they can express themselves eloquently. I think they're a lot of fun."

Graham Rahal won't make an appearance on CBS's "The Late Show" as 2014 Indy 500 champ. His car struggled with mechanical problems on Sunday, leaving him in the back of the field.

-David Lindquist

Luck takes helicopter, pace car to first Indy 500

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Before heading out to the 500 Festival Parade, Indianapolis Colt's quarterback, Andrew Luck, explains to the gathered media that his mother suggested he shave his beard if he was going to be in the parade.(Photo: Frank Espich/The Star)

Andrew Luck says his favorite mode of transportation is a bicycle. He pedals around Downtown in sunglasses and a cap for disguise.

But Sunday, he tried out a couple other modes of getting around: a helicopter and an Indianapolis 500 pace car.

The Colts quarterback was at his first Indy 500 race and he made his entrance with two Riley Hospital for Children kids in an IU Health LifeLine helicopter.

It circled the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and then landed on Turn One.

Luck emerged smiling in khaki shorts and a blue polo shirt. At his side were MaKenzi Rooksberry, 11, of Jasonville, and Johliel Austin, 14.

"It was a lot of fun," he said.

But that wasn't the end of it.

The three quickly climbed into a pacecar with a green flag to take a lap around the track and deliver the flag to the start/finish line.

MaKenzi was chosen for the honor of being escorted by Luck for her strength and courage — traits she shares with all pediatric patients, according to Riley.

The helicopter she rode in Sunday is the same one that raced her to Riley on a wintry day in 2013, after her sled collided with a moving vehicle.

Johliel, an eighth-grader at KIPP Indianapolis College Preparatory School, got to hang with Luck as a representative of Change the Play, which is a health and wellness program Luck developed with Riley experts. It rolled out in schools this year.

Luck said sharing the day with MaKenzi and Johliel gave him "perspective" on life.

- Dana Hunsinger Benbow

Ice-T, Coco had dog in hunt for victory

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Musician and actor Ice-T, and his wife Coco, walk the red carpet before the 98th Indianapolis 500 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday, May 25, 2014.(Photo: Mike Fender / The Star)

Celebrity couple Ice-T and Coco Austin said they attended the Indianapolis 500 to support driver Marco Andretti, someone they consider to be pet-related.

"Recently, our dog, King Maximus, had puppies," rapper-actor Ice-T said on the red carpet. "Marco has one of the puppies, Moody. We're related by dog."

Ice-T said he met hip-hop fan Andretti five years ago in Miami. The driver later appeared on "Ice Loves Coco," an E! network reality series based on Ice-T and his wife, model Austin.

For the record, King Maximus is a bulldog who shares a Twitter profile, @CuteSpartacus, with his father.

-David Lindquist

Snake Pit DJ says U.S. is catching up to world's sounds

Hardwell, a Dutch DJ-producer who headlined Sunday's Indy 500 Snake Pit concert inside Turn 3, is touring the United States with a sensation of "finally, about time."

Ranked as the world's No. 1 dance music DJ by DJ Mag, Hardwell said American audiences are warming to an electronic sound that's mainstream overseas.

"I'm really happy," Hardwell said in a backstage interview. "America was actually one of the only countries that had to catch up to what was going on in Europe."

Thousands of young fans gathered at the Snake Pit event, a sequel to the 2013 concert featuring Afrojack and Diplo.

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar played Friday's Carb Day concert at the track, followed by Jason Aldean's country show on Saturday.

-David Lindquist

Insult comic Jeff Ross sees a fierce party

Comedian Jeff Ross, known for dealing insults on Comedy Central celebrity roasts, complimented Indiana for its hospitality during his visit to the Indianapolis 500.

But Saturday night's party scene on Georgetown Road made a fierce impression.

"I walked around last night outside the gates, and it was like the 'Hunger Games,' " Ross said. "It seems like the whole state takes a year to sober up before the 500 again."

New Jersey native Ross, wearing a Marco Andretti T-shirt under a sport coat on Sunday, heads to New York City for a run of nightclub dates next weekend.

Ryden Hunter-Reay, the son of driver Ryan and wife Beccy, stands as the couple kisses the bricks following Hunter-Reay's victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 25, 2014. Robert Scheer/The Star

Ryan Hunter-Reay gets a kiss from his wife Beccy, as their son Ryden looks on, after the driver won the Indianapolis 500, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 25, 2014. Robert Scheer/The Star

Ryan Hunter-Reay, and his wife Beccy, try to get their son Ryden to take a sip of victory milk after Ryan won the 98th Indianapolis 500 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday, May 25, 2014. Mike Fender / The Star

Ryan Hunter-Reay raises his arm as he wins the Indy 500 just ahead of Helio Castroneves at the 98th Indianapolis 500 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday, May 25, 2014. Mike Fender / The Star

Fans acknowledge the start of the race from the south stands. Ryan Hunter-Reay won the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, IN on Sunday, May 25, 2014. Sam Riche \ For The Star

2013 Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan sits on the pit lane as his crew works on trying to restart the car on lap 82. KanaanÕs engine trouble took him out of contention for winning the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 Sunday 5/25. Gary Mook/ For The Star

Kurt Busch gets high fives on the way to an awaiting helicopter at the end of the Indianapolis 500 Sunday, May 25, 2014 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He is flying to race in the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Danese Kenon/The Star

Kurt Busch gets high fives on the way to an awaiting helicopter at the end of the Indianapolis 500 Sunday, May 25, 2014 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He is flying to race in the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Danese Kenon/The Star

Drivers in the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 wait for the final restart as they wait in the pits after the race was red flagged due to debris from a Townsend Bell crash on Lap 190 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 25, 2014. There were several lead changes after the race was restarted on Lap 195, with Ryan Hunter-Reay coming out the winner. Charlie Nye/The Star

IndyCar officials talk to drivers in the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 after they were directed into the pits when the race was red flagged due to debris from a Townsend Bell crash on Lap 190 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 25, 2014. Leaders lined up behind the pace car in lower right, are Ryan Hunter-Reay (the eventual winner), Helio Castroneves, Marco Andretti, Carlos Munoz, Juan Pablo Montoya and Kurt Busch. Charlie Nye/The Star

Cars bunch up behind Ryan Hunter-Reay, front on the second green flag restart late in the race at the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 25, 2014. As they headed into Turn One, Ed Carpenter, running in second (center) and James Hinchcliffe, right, crashed. The other cars at the front of the pack included Marco Andretti (at left behind Hunter-Reay) and Helio Castroneves (behind Carpenter). Charlie Nye/The Star

Danielle Goeman of Carmel, IN (a Indy 500 Princess) gets ready before the race. Ryan Hunter-Reay won the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, IN on Sunday, May 25, 2014. Sam Riche \ For The Star

Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts rides MaKenzi Rooksberry, 11 (left) of Jasonville, and Johliel Austin, 14 (right), before the race. Ryan Hunter-Reay won the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, IN on Sunday, May 25, 2014. Sam Riche \ For The Star

Indianapolis 500 princesses take photos after Ryan Hunter-Reay won the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, IN on Sunday, May 25, 2014. Sam Riche \ For The Star

L. Phoenix Niewidok enjoys the track before the race. Ryan Hunter-Reay won the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, IN on Sunday, May 25, 2014. Sam Riche \ For The Star

Nascar driver Kurt Busch gets a lot of media attention as he prepares to get in the car on the starting grid. Busch was trying to complete both the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca Cola 600 on Sunday, 5/25. Gary Mook/ For The Star

The breeze presented a problem while folding up the giant American flag that was unfurled during the preface ceremonies at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 25, 2014. Charlie Nye/The Star

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Hours before the start of the race, excitement at IMS was palpable as large crowds poured into Speedway for race day.

Sgt. Brian Olehy of the Indiana State Police said the Coke Lot, typically the landing spot for many race fans, was sold out well before Sunday morning.

This morning also boasted one of the largest Indy 500 crowds in recent memory, meaning that drivers commuting to the track late in the day were met by pockets of stand-still traffic.

"We've been trending upwards as far as attendance for the past few years, and the trend continued again this morning. Now, are we back to where we were in the 70s and 80s? I don't know, but it's continuing to trend upwards," Olehy said. "If you don't have a spot now, we're strongly encouraging people to find the first place they can to park and walk the rest of the way."

-Justin L. Mack

First-timer visits Snake Pit

By the time the checkered flag was in hand and ready to wave, Dominique Evans could barely recognize the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the home of the year's most anticipated racing event.

Instead, he stood in the middle of the IMS Snake Pit, soaking up every second of Nervo's set, and counting down the seconds until headlining DJ Hardwell made his way to the stage.

"This is my first 500 … it's nothing like I expected. Looking at it on TV only tells half the story," said the 24-year-old Indianapolis resident. "I feel bad because we might not even make it inside for the race … it's just too crazy out here."

Depending on their location inside the Speedway, each of the approximately 230,000 Indy 500 attendees had a very different experience Sunday.

For Evans, the venue was the site of the largest outdoor party he'd ever attended.

For much of the morning he swayed and stomped on a grass dance floor inside Turn 3, driven not by the revving of engines, but by the pulsating bass coming from impossibly large speakers that flanked the stage.

-Justin Mack

Veteran race fan happy to see Jim Nabors

But Cynthia Gilliam, 53, Crawfordsville, has no idea who Hardwell is and has never stepped foot in the Snake Pit.

For her and her two sons, the trip to IMS was all about the race.

"The only person I want to see sing is Jim Nabors," she laughed after making it to her seat. "I've heard stories about (the Snake Pit) and it sounds like a whole different world over there.

"Our family is full of race lovers … we've been coming (to the Indy 500) for about 20 years."

Gilliam said the Indy 500 is usually the biggest event of the summer for her family. They're not big on road trips, and often opt to skip the State Fair, she said.

"We came down Thursday night in the RV and have been here the whole weekend, just spending time together," she said. "It's a family event. I think some people forget that … I've been coming with boys since they were in strollers."